Tombstone Tuesday-Catharine (Huffmann) Kable

Catharine (Huffmann) Kable, St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Rockford, Mercer County, Ohio. (2023 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Catharine (Huffmann) Kable, located in row 1 of St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

CATHARINE
KABLE  
1862-1913
Christ Is My Hope
KABLE

Catharine Huffmann was born 5 March 1862 in Mercer County, the daughter of Ferdinand (1830-1908) and Elisabeth (Herzog) (1834-1917) Huffmann, both German immigrants. The Huffmanns attended Zion Lutheran, Chatt, and are buried in Kessler/Liberty Cemetery.

Zion Lutheran Chatt’s church records, as well as many early records, spell her name as Katharine. However, her tombstone spells her name as Catharine. For this post I am using the Catharine spelling, as is written on her tombstone. In addition, Zion Chatt’s records spell her maiden name Hoffmann, but her parents’ tombstone is inscribed as Huffmann. Both spellings are seen over the years but Huffmann appears to have been the more common spelling here.

Catharine was born in Liberty Township, Mercer County, where she grew up. The Ferdinand Huffmann household in 1870: Ferdinand (as Finland [sic]); 41; Elisabeth (as Isabella [sic]); 38; George, 17; Margaret, 15; John, 12; Philip, 10; Elizabeth, 10; Catharine, 7; Jacob, 6; and Fredrick, 3. [1]

The Ferdinand Huffmann household in 1880: Ferdinand, 51; Elizabeth, 45; John, 22; Philip, 19; Elizabeth, 20; Katie, 17; Jacob, 15; Frederick, 13; and Rose Ann, 5. [2]

Catharine Huffmann married widower Adam Kable 17 December 1890 in Mercer County. [3] Adam’s first wife, Margaret/Maggie Miller, died in 1889. Adam and Maggie had one son, Emil, born in 1889.

The Adam Kable family in 1900: Adam Kable, 38; Catharine/Katie Kable, 38, Carl Kable, 8, son; and Hulda Kable, 6, daughter. This enumeration indicates the couple had been married 9 years and that wife Catharine had given birth to 6 children, 3 of them living. Adam was a farmer. [4]

The Adam Kable family in 1910: Adam Kable, 48; Catharine Kable, 47, wife; Carl Kable, 18, single, son; and Hulda Kable, 16, single, daughter. This enumeration indicates Adam and Catharine had been married 19 years, this was Adam’s second marriage and Katharine’s first, and that Katharine had given birth to 5 children, 2 of them living. [5]

Catharine (Huffmann) Kable died in Liberty Township on 26 November 1913 at the age of 51 years, 8 months, and 21 days. Her cause of death was given as tuberculosis. She was buried on the 28th. [6]

Adam and Catharine had the following children:
Charles/Carl E. Kable (1891/2-1973), married Cora Edna Bellows; married Eva Ann Wurster
Hulda K. Kable (1894-1985), married Philip Kerwood; married Leo Andrews
Male Kable (1895-1895)
Male Kable (1896-1896)
Male Kable (1898-1898)

[1] 1870 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, p.147A, dwelling, family, Finland Hoffman [sic]; Ancestry.com.

[2] 1880 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 188, p.472D, dwelling 27, family 28, Ferdinand Hoffman; Ancestry.com.

[3] Ohio, U.S., County Marriages, Records, 1774-1993, Mercer, 1887-1904, p.242, Adam Kable & Katie Hoffman, 17 Dec 1890; Ancestry.com.

[4] 1900 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 85, p.17, dwelling 337, family 344, Adam Kable; Ancestry.com.

[5] 1910 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 119, p.12B, dwelling 226, family 233, Adam Kable; Ancestry.com.

[6] “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953,” Mercer County, Katharine Kable, 26 Nov 1913; database with images, FamilySearch.org.

3 comments

    • Deb Bollenbacher Reichard on October 3, 2023 at 9:06 am
    • Reply

    Good morning Karen. Well another connection as the Huffman family eventually married into the Bollenbacher family. This is what I have as genealogy on the Hoffman family originating in Germany.
    The Hoffman ancestry line starts with Jakob Hoffman and Margarethe (Schmeer) Hoffman living in Germany. They were the parents of Ferdinand Hoffman, born March 7, 1830 in Fechingen, Germany. He married Elizabeth Herzog. Four children were born to Ferdinand and Elizabeth Herzog Hoffman in Germany: Caroline Hoffman, Ferdinand Hoffman, Adolph Hoffman, Catherine Hoffman. They came to Mercer Co., Ohio in 1849 and in 1880 changed their name to Huffman. They had 10 other children in the United States.
    5. George F. Huffman b. 1/29/1853 d. 1/19/1937
    6. Margaret Huffman b. 1/2/1855 d. 4/8/1927
    7. John Huffman b. 10/23/1857 d. 4/1/1942
    8. Elizabeth Huffman b. 12/24/1859 d. 3/24/1951
    9. Philip Huffman b. 12/24/1859 d. 10/15/1954
    10. Katherine Huffman b. 3/5/1862 d. 11/26/1913
    11. Jacob Huffman b. 1/20/1865 d. 1/22/1939
    12. Frederick Huffman b. 7/1/1867 d. 2/16/1940
    13. Henry Huffman b. 10/1872 d. 7/1/1873
    14. Anna Rozina (RoseAnna) Huffman b. 2/10/1875 d. 12/6/1960

    I come from the line of George who married Sarah Rose Ann Dodge. Their daughter Mary Olga Huffman married my great grandfather, William George Bollenbacher, son of Jacob & Magdelena Bollenbacher.

    Always interesting to see what you have on your blog week to week. Take care,

    1. Hi Deb! Great to hear from you and learn more of your local connections. I was interested to learn that the Hoffmanns changed the spelling of their name in 1880. That makes sense.

      I have some of the same Hoffmann/Huffmann information that you have, mine coming from Zion Chatt’s Family Register, which names their first 8 children and their birth dates. From Zion Chatt’s Family Register: Ferdinand Hoffmann, son of Jakob and Margaretha (Schmeer) Hoffmann, was born 7 Mar 1830 in Fechingen, Rhein-Prussia, came to America with his parents in 1849, married Elisabeth Herzog in 1852. Elisabeth Herzog was born in Buschendorf, County Court Herzogenauerach, Unterfranken, Bavaria, on 26 Aug 1834, the daughter of Johann and Margaretha Herzog…

      This immigration and marriage information appears to be accurate. Ferdinand Hoffmann married Elizabeth Herzog in Mercer County 4 August 1852, per Mercer County Marriages. So, it appears that your ancestor George, born 29 Jun 1853 in Liberty Township, was probably their first child.

      It appears Ferdinand and Elisabeth had 10 children, all born in Liberty Township. Some of the birth dates in the Family Register differ from yours. Their children, from Zion’s Family Register:
      1. Georg, b. 29 Jun 1853
      2. Margaretha, b. 4 Jan 1855
      3. Johann, b. 23 Aug 1857
      4. Elisabetha, b. 24 Dec 1859
      5. Philipp, b. 24 Dec 1859
      6. Katharina, b. 5 Mar 1862
      7. Jakob, b. 20 Jan 1865
      8. Friedrich, b. 1 Jul 1867

      Their last 2 children are in Zion Chatt’s Birth/Baptism records:
      9. Heinrich Hoffmann, born 11 May 1872, baptized 16 Jun 1872, died 2 Feb 1873.
      10. Anna Rosina Hoffmann, born 10 Feb 1875, baptized 3 Mar 1875.

      I am thinking the 4 children born in Germany belong to another Hoffmann family. Something to look into. As usual, more research needed!

      Thanks for writing! Always good to hear from you.

    • Deb Bollenbacher Reichard on October 3, 2023 at 1:24 pm
    • Reply

    Well maybe the four children born in Germany were actually the children of Jakob and Margarethe Schmeer Hoffman. My information was taken from what was given to me from some of Grandpa Bollenbacher’s sisters. Written long ago and sometimes not complete or correct. It would make more sense that they may have been their children since one was Ferdinand Hoffman.

    Thanks,
    Deb

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